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01-08-2019 | Original Contribution

Bitter taste sensitivity, food intake, and risk of malignant cancer in the UK Women’s Cohort Study

Authors: Joshua D. Lambert, Sarah R. VanDusen, Jennie E. Cockroft, Elizabeth C. Smith, Darren C. Greenwood, Janet E. Cade

Published in: European Journal of Nutrition | Issue 5/2019

Abstract

Purpose

There is variability in sensitivity to bitter tastes. Taste 2 Receptor (TAS2R)38 binds to bitter tastants including phenylthiocarbamide (PTC). Many foods with putative cancer preventive activity have bitter tastes. We examined the relationship between PTC sensitivity or TAS2R38 diplotype, food intake, and cancer risk in the UK Women’s Cohort Study.

Methods

PTC taste phenotype (n = 5500) and TAS238 diplotype (n = 750) were determined in a subset of the cohort. Food intake was determined using a 217-item food-frequency questionnaire. Cancer incidence was obtained from the National Health Service Central Register. Hazard ratios (HR) were estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazard models.

Results

PTC tasters [HR 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04, 1.62], but not supertasters (HR 0.98, CI 0.76, 1.44), had increased cancer risk compared to nontasters. An interaction was found between phenotype and age for supertasters (p = 0.019) but not tasters (p = 0.54). Among women > 60 years, tasters (HR 1.40, CI 1.03, 1.90) and supertasters (HR 1.58, CI 1.06, 2.36) had increased cancer risk compared to nontasters, but no such association was observed among women ≤ 60 years (tasters HR 1.16, CI 0.84, 1.62; supertasters HR 0.54, CI 0.31, 0.94). We found no association between TAS2R38 diplotype and cancer risk. We observed no major differences in bitter fruit and vegetable intake.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the relationship between PTC taster phenotype and cancer risk may be mediated by factors other than fruit and vegetable intake.

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Title: Bitter taste sensitivity, food intake, and risk of malignant cancer in the UK Women’s Cohort Study
Authors: Joshua D. Lambert
Sarah R. VanDusen
Jennie E. Cockroft
Elizabeth C. Smith
Darren C. Greenwood
Janet E. Cade
Publication date: 01-08-2019
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: European Journal of Nutrition / Issue 5/2019
Print ISSN: 1436-6207
Electronic ISSN: 1436-6215
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-018-1772-4

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Bitter taste sensitivity, food intake, and risk of malignant cancer in the UK Women’s Cohort Study

Abstract

Purpose

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Results

Conclusion

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